Sealing-machine.



H. E. TOWNSEND.

SEALING MACHINE.

APPLICATION HLED MAR. 19. 1915.

1,291,662. Patented Jan. 14, 1919.

4 Si' ETSSHEET l.

l/Vl/E/V TOR f/q/PRr E. Timvanm H. E. TOWNSEND.

SEALING MACHINE.

APPLICATION FILED MAR. 19. 1915.

Patented Jan.14,l9l9

4 SHEETS SHEETZ A TTOR/VEY H. E. TOWNSEND.

SEALING MACHINE.

APPLICATION FILED MAR. I9. 1925.

1,291,662. Patented Jan. 14, 1919.

4 SHEETS-SHEET 3.

W ATTORNEY H. E. TOWNSEND.

SEALING MACHINE.

APPLICATION FILED MAR. 19. m5.

Patented Jan. 14, 1919.

4 SHEETS-SHEET 4.

' INVENTOR ZM/er Z Dim $0M BY M RNEy I partly in section; Fig. 2 is and is a To all whom it may concern:

Beit k Brooklyn, III the county of Kings and State haveinventednew and use- Improvements in Sealing-Machines, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to sealing machines, and has particular reference to a combined exhausting and sealing machine in which the exhausting and sealing operations are performed in .a single, unitary One object of the the plant heretofore necessary 1n sealing mechanically containers under a vacuum, an-

increase the speed of operation of the sealing mechanism, another object is to secure as high or higher a vacuum within the sealed container when the machine is driven at a highoperative speed, 0b ects Will'appear in the following description and claims.

Referrin to the drawings:

Figure 1 s a side elevation of the machine. a front elevation.

partly in sectlon; Fig.-3-is an end elevation of the clutch mechanism taken in section on line 3-3 of Fig. 4; Fig. 4 is a sectional elevation of the showing the operation of the clutch bolt; Fig. 6 1s a sectional elevation showing the connections of sealing and exhausting chambers; 'Fi 7 is a detail showing theo erafie se is a sectlonal marily to apply metalliccaps or closures to glass containers, afterthe air has been Withcontalner. The caps are drawn from the mechanically t0 the glass preferably sealed container, so that the seal may without the help of atmospheric pressure. The sealing under. vacuum of glass cpntainers in this manner is a recent development great advance .in the art of packaging foods andth e like.

In machines heretofore used for this urcally the'closuie to the glass container, and

I this means isjsuitably operated by power ap- Specification oi Letters Patent. Application filed March, 19, 1915. Serial No. 15,475.

nown that I, HARRY E. TowNsnNn,

pose. In order to United States, residing at and still other of the air clutch mechanism taken on the line of the driven shaft; Fig. 5 is a detail While the pump is being .driven be maintained plied to each sealing machine for the purseal the containers under a vacuum 1t has further is sealed, a common arrangement bein to have several sealing machinesconnecte to a single exhausting air pump or air line.

ith goods kept under vacuum, it isof great. importance that the package be sealed under the highest attainable vacuum; many kinds of s will not keep indefinitely. unless sealed in a vacuum of not less than 26 or 27 inches, and an even highervacuum is greatly to be desired. For this reason described above are often: The tendency of 'the' packer to connect too many sealing machines with an air pump results in the packingbeing done under two low a vacuum, andmany carloads of goods may be packed before it is discovers the goods will keep but a short time owing to the overloading pump. This trouble may also appear where there is but a single sealing ma- In this instance, the pump and the sealing machine havin connections, usually be ting or electric motors, the packer is inclined to speed up the 8 sealing machine to increase production,

nary speed. As in the former case, the goods will be packed under a low vacuum and their keeping qualities will be corre- 9 spondingly impaired. I

single unitary structure in which is incorporated both a sealing mechanism and an exhausting these defects, and mthis structure a driv- 9 ing means is provided that will always maintain the same relative speed of the sealing mechanism and the pump. echanism constructed in accordancelwith the invention will-accordingly provide for exhausting means combined wit mechanism, the two ture and having a common driving means. While there are many ways of accom lishing this object, in the present embodiment of my invention, I employ a frame 10 comprising a base and tion incorporating the cylinder, as shown in Figs. 1 and 6, a trunk piston 12 is located, this piston be- 1 Patented Jan. 14, 1919. I

ohms and an exhausting-pump connected independentpower at its ordiing connected by a rod 13 to a crank 14 formed in the main shaft 15. These parts form the exhausting means, and as shown in Fig. 6, the upper part of the cylinder-11 communicates with channels or ports 16, 17 through which the air is withdrawn from the vacuum chamber represented at 18 whenever the piston 12 moves downward and the valve 19 puts the ports 16 and 17 in communication with each other.

This particular mechanism is adapted by a single downward stroke of the piston to exhaust the air from the vacuum chamber and the arrangement shown has several im portant advantages. -The downward movement of the piston is harmonic-the piston starting slowly and accelerating until it has reached inidstroke and then decreasing in speed. The slow initial movement prevents such a. rapid exhaustion or" air from the vacuum chamber as to cause the contents of the container to be sucked out; and the slow terminating movement occurs when the air behind the piston is most rarified and the load upon the piston is approaching its maximum, during which time the leverage of the crank is increasing so that the load upon ,the main shaft is comparatively uniform and the machine is more easily driven. By using a trunk piston, the size oi? the pump is not excessive, and it"permits the pump cylinder and frame to be combined in a simple and compact structure of the most convenient height for supporting the vacuum chambers.

The sealing die-"mechanism, in the present illustration of my invention comprises a pair of annular dies L i and 22, best shown in Figs; 6 and '8 The lower die 21 is adjustably supported in the vacuum chamber 18 and the upper die is adjustably mounted in a plunger 23 adapted to reciprocate in a bracket 24: bolted to the trains 10. As shown 1, the plunger 23 is connected by a link 25 to a lever 26 fulm'umed at it? to the bracket 24c.

The lever is connected through a compression spring 28 to a' rod which carries at its lower end a roll 30 engaging a cam Keyed to the main shaft 15, as shown in Fig. 9. formed as to cause the rod 29 to moveupward at a certain point inthe rotation of the main shaft 15, this upward movement operating through spring 28 to depress the plun- .in Fig. 7, this closing of the two dies oompresses the heading formed on the rim of forced laterally from the beading against ing the closure '1 to the container in the well lmown manner. 1

The use of annular dies is of importance as as itdecreases the dead space in the vacuum The groove in cam 31 is so.

ger 23 and cause the die' 22'to move downsure upon the piston works with the 1 ward against the abutting die 21. As shown the closure as and the gasket material 6 is the wall oer? the'glass container, thus seal-v menses chamber. When sectional jaw dies are used, working spaces .must be provided for their movement in expanding and contracting upon the closure beading, and this working space is relatively so great that a high vacuum could not be attained in a machine-of the-character disclosed, which has but a fixed and limited piston displacement for each operation. Both the exhausting means and the sealing dies and mechanism are driven by the same shaft 15, so that it is impossible to speed upunduly the sealing die mechanism relatively to the exhausting means. The shaft 15 may be driven either continuously or intermittently, its operation being-com trolled by a pedal 33 pivoted to the frame 10 at 34 and provided with a clutch trip 35 adapted to engage a clutch bolt 36 which slides in the driven member 37 of a clutch. Yes A spring 38 tends normally to move-the bolt outward to engage the lugs 3g, 39 on the driver member &0 of the clutch, and the clutch trip when elevated prevents the engagement of the clutch bolt and the lugs. The driver member is mounted loosely upon shaft 15 and is provided with a gear-periph ery which is driven by a spur gear e3 mounted upon a shaft 4A- carrying a suitable belt pulley 4:5 through which power may be apa5 plied to the machine. Thepedal is normally held upward by a spring 46. The clutch mechanism operates as a one-revolution clutch, the shaft 15 being rotated one revolution each time the pedal is depressed.

By means of this clutch, themachine may be operated intermittently as desired and at 'arate corresponding with the delivery of the As the machine containers to the machine. consumes almost as much power in running idle as ,when exhausting and sealing containers, the clutch arrangement jsaves considerable power and also undue wear of the machine. lit has a further advantage that when a glass container is broken during are sealing, the machine can be stopped before the contents of the container are sucked into' the pump. g

It will be 'noticed that when the piston and crank reach'theirlowest position, the,

atmospheric pressure upon the under side]- of the piston is at a maximum and tends to drive the piston upward. When the crank passes the lower dead center the fires riv-' ing gear rather than against-it and unless means are provided to prevent it, the piston would tend to race H upward, pulling the crank-with it, thereby causing a chattering .of the clutch and backlashing of the gears 125. I

40,, 43, This backlash is prevented by a suitable port adapted to relieve the pres sure upon the piston as the crank passes the lower dead center and after the con tainer withinthe. vacuum chamber has been MW I nausea ton and the pressure is relieved.

ing cylinder, 1

will be noticed that cut instance this 48 iir'the wall of relief port is formed at the cylinder 11, and is so positioned with respect to the piston that e latter at the extreme whereby air the pis- 1t 1s uncovered by th end of the downward stroke, .is .admitted to the cylinder behind The mechanism described above is not enough in itself to ive the most effective results, for as alrea y great importance to et the highest possible vacuum in the sealef container. In such a unitary structure the vacuum V will be in accordance with the formula a plus b I V equals a times P where a is the cu'oic capacity of the vacuum chamber and residual space in container, 11 of the ducts between the vacuum chamber and the cylinder of the pum ,0 the cubic capacity of the exhaustand P the barometer pressure. s obvious that the values of a and 6 must be made as small as possible with re; lation to the size of the pump cylinder.

In the construction shown, therefore, the vacuumchamber 18 is located as close as thecubic capacity .possible to the cylinder 11 so that the ducts cubic capacity, and,

16. and 17 have a small the chamber itself is of novel forin and construction, as best shown in Fig. 6. A typical glass container is indicated by dotted lines in the drawin at 50 and, as shown, is of a tapering cylin rical form. Containers, being made of pressed or blown glass, are manufactured more cheaply inthis form as it facilitates the withdrawal of the glass from the mold in its manufacture. vacuum chamber is specially constructed to handle glass of this character and the principal part of the chamber is made up of a cup receiver. The chamber is formed of a cylindrical sleeve 51 which coiiperates with a fo0tplate 52'and a sealing head 53 formed upon a bracket 24. Within the'sleeve 51 is located a holder 54 adapted to reciprocate within the sleeve and to support the container 50.

Two of these sleeves and holders are is rotated registration with the sealing head 53. It the receiver, including the sleeve and holder, is substantially in the form of a cup, with its internal dimensions corresponding closely to the external dimensions of the glass container, and that, in operation, the container is dropped into the receiver. This method of construction reducesthe clearance or dead space between the container and the walls of the vacuum chamber to' the minimum and is a large pointed out, it is of The ' distribution of load In operation, the ejector and the foot-plate ing the sealedvcontainer to d an unsealed container inserted in factor in securing efficiency in this type of machine. vantage of a cup receiver over a bell receiver is seen in that in the case of the bell receiver, the internal diameter of the bell would greater than the largest" diameter of glass container orits cap, and the amount of dead space within the vacuum chamber would be so great that it would be impossible to secure a high vacuum.

The shaft 56 carrying the cup receivers is intermittently rotated by mechanism shown in Figs. 1 and 2. Main shaft 15 carries one member 60 of :1 Geneva train, and the other and driven member 61 is mounted on a stud shaft 62 and has attached to it a bevel gear 63, The gear 63 meshes with gear 64 pinned to shaft 56, which is driven thereby. bracket 65 is have to be something I he foot-plate 52 is located below and in me upon a rod 66 having a bearing in the bracket 65.- The foot-plate and rod are reciprocated vertically by a cam 67 attached to the main shaft 15 and operating upon a follower arm 68, crank 69 and connecting od 70, as shown in full and dotted lines in To facilitate theinsertion and withdrawal 0 the containers, an ejector 71 is provided which is mounted in the bracket 65 and is in registration with the axis of the sleeve 51 whenv the-latter is in its left hand position as viewed in Fig. 6. The ejector is supported and reciprocated by a lever 72 pivoted to the frame at 73, having a in and slot connection with rod 66 to the ejector bylink 74.

By positioning ,the turret with vacuum chamb of the frame and t e actuating devices for the sealing mechanism including rod 29 on t e opposite side of the frame, as best shown in ig. 1, a simple lever 26 is all. that is resealin of th parts more accessible and iving a uniform upon t e main shaft.

the

with the sealing head 53 and is carrieders and sealing mechanism on one side A I bolted to the frame 11 and. forms a bearing for the shaft 56.

and coup ed I move upward simultaneously while the turbe easily with its place; at the same time the foot-plate52 raises the sleeve 51 into contact with the sealing head 53, hermetic joints being in 1 m. A

formed by the gaskets 75 and 76. T he vacuum chamber is thus formed and held sealed While the plunger 28 descends to efliect the sealing operation upon the con tainer, {is-previously described. The ejector and foot-plate then move downward until they are clear of. the sleevesbl, whereupon the turret is rotated the necessary distance to repeat the operation.

I claim: v

1. In a vacuum sealingmachine, a vacuum chamber, opposed dies located Within the chamber, actuating mechanism for the dies, a pump adapted to exhaust the air from said chamber, and a driving means common to the die actuating mechanism and the pump, and adapted to operate said pumpand mechanism in sequence.

2. Inc. vacuum sealing machine, a vacuum chamber, opposed dies located Within the chamber, actuating mechanism for the dies, a pump adapted to exhaust the air from said chamber, a driving means common to the die actuating mechanism and the pump, and adapted to operate said pump and mechanism in sequence, a clutch controlling the operation of the driving means, and a pedal for tripping the clutch.

3. In a vacuum sealing machine, a vacuum chamber, sealing mechanism located Within the chamber, a pump adapted to exhaust the air from'said chamber, a driving means common to the sealing mechanism and the pump, and adapted to operate said pump and mechanism in sequence, a clutch for controlling the operation of the driving-means, and a device for tripping the clutch.

4:. In a vacuum sealing machine, a vacuum chamber, sealing mechanism including annular dies located Within the chamber, a pump adaptedto exhaust the air from said chamher, and a driving means common to the sea ing mechanism and the pump and adapted to operate said pump and sealing mechanism in sequence.

5. In a vacuum sealing machine, a vacuum chamber, sealing mechanism including annular dies located within the chamber, a pump adapted to exhaust the air from said chamber, adriving means common to the sealing mechanism and, the pump and adapted to operate said pump and scaling mechanism in sequence, a clutch controllingthe operation of the driving means, and a device for tri ping the clutch.

6. In a vacuum sealing machine, a vacuum chamber, sealinganechanism located Within the chamber, a piston pump ada ted to ere haust the air from said chamber )y a single piston stroke, and a driving means common to the seal'ng mechanism and the pump, and adapted to operate saidpui'np and sealing mechanism in sequence 1 7. In a vacuum sealing machine, vacuum chamber, sealing mechanism located ivvithin the chamber, a piston pump adapted to exhaust the air from said chamber by a single piston stroke, a driving means common to the sealing mechanism and the pump, and a relief port for the-pump to prevent backlash of the driving means.

8. In a vacuum sealing machine, a vacuumchamber, sealing mechanism located within the chamber, a crank-driven-piston pump adapted to exhaust the air trom said chamher by a single piston stroke, and a drivin means common to the sealing mechanism and the pump, and adapted to operate said pump aud'sealingmechanism in sequence 9. In a vacuum sealing machine,a vacuum chamber, sealing mechanism located Within the chamber, a pump adapted to exhaust the air from said chamber, a driving means including a clutch and gears common to the sealing mechanism and the pump, and a relief port for the pump to prevent chattering and backlash of the clutch and gears.

10. In a vacuum sealing mach1ne,a vacuum chamber, sealing mechanism located within the chamber, a pump adapted to exhaust the air from said chamber, a driving means common to the sealing" mechanism andthe pump, and a relief port for the pump adapted to be opened after the operation of the sealing mechanism whereby backlash of the driving means is prevented.

11. In a vacuum sealing machine, a cup receiver and a scaling head comprising a vacuum chamber, scaling mechanism located Within the chamber, a pump adapted to err haust the air ifroin'ss id chamber, and a driv= ing means common to the sealing mechanism and the pump, and adapted to operate said.

pump and sealing mechanism in sequence.

12. In a vacuum sealing machine, a cup receiver and a sealing head comprising a vacuum chamber, sealing mechanism in cluding annular dies located within the chamber, a pump adapted to exhaust the air 'from said chamber, and a driving means common to the seeding mechanism and the Pllll'lp, and adapted to operate'said pump and mechanism in sequence :eceiv 'nd a sealing head comprising vac-nu ramber, sealing mechanism-located with the chamber, a piston ada to'ezrhaust the air from said chamber y "a single piston stroke,

and a driving means vacuum sealing machine, a cup common tothe sealing mechanism and the 1.-

pump, and adapted. to operate said pump and sealing mechanism in sequence;

14-. In a vacuum sealing machine,- a cup,

receiver comprising a sleeve open at its up; per end, a holder located Within the sleeve" and adapted to support a container lowered into the receiver, and an ejector adapted ta reciprocate the holder 'ithin the sleeve and to be'vlithdrawn clear'from said sleeve.

" 15. In a vacuum sealing machine, a cup has sitioned on cue side of the .by e

the turret to register with one of receiver-comprising a sleeve open at its upper end, a holder located within the sleeve and adapted to support a container lowered into the receiver, an ejector adapted to reciprocate the holder within the sleeve, and a foot-plate for closing the lower end of the sleeve, the said ejector and foot-plate being adapted to operate alternately.

16. In a vacuum sealing machine, a rotary turret and a plurality of cup receivers carried by the turret, the said receivers each 1neluding a sleeve vertically slidable in the turret, and a holder located inside the sleeve and vertically slidable therein,

In a vacuum sealing machine, a rotary turret and a plurality of cup receivers carried by the turret,.the said receivers each ineluding a sleeve vertically slidable in the turret, and a holder located inside the sleeve and vertically slidable therein in combination with a sealing head and a foot-plate adapted to cooperate with the cup receiver to form a vacuum chamber.

18. In a vacuum sealing machine, turret, a plurality of cup receivers carried turret, the said receivers each including a sleeve and a holder located within the sleeve, an ejector relatively stationary to the turret and adapted to act upon the holders in succession, a foot-plate relatively stationary to the turret and adapted to coact with the sleeves in succession, and means to cause simultaneous operation of the said ejector and foot-plate. I

In a vacuum sealing machine, a seal ing head, a rotary turret below the sealing head, sleeves carried by the turret and adapted to register with the sealing head, a foota rotary plate below the turret and in registration with the sealing head, the said foot-plate be ing adapted to form a vacuum chamber by contacting with a sleeve and raising it into contact with the sealing head.

In a vacuum sealingmachine, an intermittently rotating turret, a pair of cup receivers mounted in the turret, a sealing head and foot-plate positioned relatively to the receivers, and an ejector adapted to cooperate simultaneously with the other receiver.-

1. In a vacuum sealing machine, a frame comprising a base adapted to support a main power shaft, the frame tubular portion formed at its upper end into a pump cylinder, and brackets attached to theupright portion of the frame and adapted to support a vacuum chamber and sealing mechanism.

22:\ In mvacuum sealing machine, a combinedvertical frame and pump cylinder, a vacuum chamber and sealing mechanism poframe, and means to actuate the sealing mechanism located upon the opposite sideof the frame.

23. In a vacuum sealing machine, a vacuing head positioned having an upright um chamber, an exhaust pump, sealing mechanism, a main shaft equipped with a crank adapted to operate the pump, actuating devices for the vacuum chamber coupled with and driven from the main shaft at one side of the crank, actuating devices forthe sealing mechanism coupled with and driven from the main shaft at the other side of the crank, a gear drive for the main shaft, a clutch interposed between the gear drive and the main shaft, and a trip for the clutch.

In a vacuum sealing machine, a sealover a sealing station, a package carrier adapted to move and position a package beneath said sealing head, and means for causing said sealing head to cover said package carrier to hermetically inclose said package when positioned at the sealing station, in combination with a piston pump adapted to exhaust the air from around said package by a single piston stroke, and driving means operatively connected with said sealing head and said pump whereby said head and said pump are operated in sequence.

25. In a vacuum sealing machine, a sealing head, a package carrier, means to move said carrier to position a package therein beneath said sealing head, and means to cause a relative vertical movement between said carrier and said head whereby a closed chamber is provided around said package, in combination with a vacuum pump adapted to exhaust air from said chamber by a single package within said. carrier; tioning said package carrier beneath said closure; in combination with means for exhausting the air from around said package when said closure is seated over said package carrier, the movement of said package carrier, the closing of said chamber, the exhausting of air from said chamber, and the seating of said cap occurring in sequence.

27. In a vacuum machine the combination of a package carrier, a head adapted to cooperate with said package carrier to form a closed chamber around the package within said carrier, means for intermittently posipackage carrier beneath said said package carrier when said package car- IIPPlS being moved to position beneath said memes seat a suitable cap on a suitable package said closure head and said pocket whereby Within said package carrier when said carsaid head closes the upper end of said pocket, rier is in engagement with said head, and a an anvil operative vertically through said single-stroke exhausting mechanism for exhead to seat a suitable cap on a suitable 15 5 hausting the air from around said package package within said pocket when said head prior to the seating of the cap thereon. is in engagement with said pocket, and a pis- 28. In a vacuum maohineapo'cket adapted ton pump adapted to exhaust the air from to receive and transport a suitable package said pocket by a single piston stroke, and adapted to be sealed, means for positioning driving mechanism whereby said pump and: 20 10 said pocket beneath a closure head, devices said anvil are operated in sequence. for causing a relative movement between HARRY E. TOWNSENDA? 

